Klay Alexander Thompson (born February 8, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played his first 13 seasons with the Golden State Warriors, where he was one half of the "Splash Brothers", the other half being Stephen Curry. He is widely regarded as one of the best three-point shooters of all time. Thompson is a four-time NBA champion, a five-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-NBA Third Team honoree, and was once named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. He has also won multiple gold medals with the United States national team on their 2014 World Cup team and 2016 Olympic team.
The son of former NBA player Mychal Thompson and brother of NBA player Mychel Thompson and Major League Baseball player Trayce Thompson, Klay Thompson played college basketball for three seasons with the Washington State Cougars, where he was a two-time first-team all-conference selection in the Pac-10 (now Pac-12). Thompson was selected in the first round of the 2011 NBA draft by Golden State with the 11th overall pick. In 2014, he and teammate Stephen Curry set a then-NBA record with 484 combined three-pointers in a season (a record they broke the following season with 525 and again in the 2015–16 season with 678), earning the pair the nickname of "the Splash Brothers." In 2015, Thompson helped lead the Warriors to their first NBA championship since 1975. The following season, he helped the Warriors win a record 73 games. The team advanced to the NBA Finals that season, losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games. Thompson and the Warriors avenged their 2016 finals loss, winning two more titles in 2017 and 2018. He also helped the Warriors reach their fifth straight Finals in 2019, where he suffered a torn ACL late in the series. After missing over two and a half years of play due to injury, Thompson returned in the middle of the 2021–22 season, where he won his fourth title in 2022.
Contents
Early life
Thompson was born in Los Angeles to Julie and Mychal Thompson. His mother was a volleyball player in college for the University of Portland and University of San Francisco, while his father was the first overall pick of the 1978 NBA draft. When Thompson was two, he and his family moved to Lake Oswego, Oregon, where Thompson was childhood friends and Little League teammates with fellow future NBA star Kevin Love. Thompson and his brothers were raised there as devout Catholics and have Bahamian ancestry through their father.
When Thompson was 14, his family moved to Ladera Ranch, California, where he graduated from Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita in 2008. In his junior season, Thompson was named to the All-Area second team and to the Orange County third team. As a senior, Thompson averaged 21 points per game and led SMCHS to a 30–5 record and a Division III State Championship appearance. During the state championship, Thompson set a state finals record with seven three-pointers in a game. He was named Division III State player of the year, League MVP, first-team Best in the West, and an EA Sports Second Team All American.
College career
Thompson started all 33 games as a freshman for Tony Bennett at Washington State University, leading his team in three-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage, and averaging 12.5 points per game. Thompson was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team and Collegehoops.net All-Freshman Honorable Mention Team.
Thompson began his sophomore season by leading the Cougars to the Great Alaska Shootout Championship, being named its Most Outstanding Player after scoring a tournament single game record of 43 points in its championship. This was also the third highest single game point total in WSU history. After becoming the third fastest Cougar to reach 1,000 points, Thompson was named to the All-Pac-10 First Team. He earned Pac-10 Player of the Week honors twice during the season and was chosen as a midseason candidate for the John R. Wooden Award. Thompson finished the season averaging 19.6 points, good for second in the conference.
Thompson led the Pac-10 in scoring as a junior, again earning All-Pac-10 first team honors. He became just the third Cougar to win first-team all-district honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches twice in his career. Thompson also became the first Cougar to be named Pac-10 Player of the Week three times when he won the award for the week of Nov. 22–28, extending the record to four after the week of December 6–12. Soon after, Thompson was named one of the 30 midseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Award. In the 2011 Pac-10 tournament, he set tournament records with 43 points and eight three-pointers. Thompson finished the season by setting WSU's single season scoring record with 733 points. He is WSU's third all-time leading scorer.
On January 18, 2020, Washington State retired the No. 1 that Thompson wore in college. He became the second WSU men's basketball player to receive this honor, joining Steve Puidokas, and the seventh WSU athlete in any sport whose number has been retired.
Professional career
Golden State Warriors (2011–2024)
Thompson declared for the 2011 NBA draft after his junior season, being selected 11th overall by the Golden State Warriors. Starting the season on the bench, Thompson would become a starter for the latter third of the season after the Warriors traded longtime starter Monta Ellisin March 2012. Warriors general manager Larry Riley praised Thompson for his shooting ability and expressed confidence that Thompson would improve his defensive skills with new coach Mark Jackson.
The NBA did not select Thompson for the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend Rising Stars Challenge. However, in the four games after that decision, Thompson improved in all areas of basketball over his then-current season averages: points per game (12.5 over 7.6), shooting percentage (54.3% overall including 55.6% for three-pointers, up from 46.7 and 48.1), rebounds (2.8 from 1.6), assists (1.5 from 1.3), steals, and turnovers. The Warriors traded Ellis to the Milwaukee Bucks on March 13, 2012. The following game, Thompson scored a season-high 26 points in a loss to the Boston Celtics. A week later, he exceeded his previous high with 27 points in a win over the New Orleans Hornets. As of mid-February 2012, Thompson played around 17 minutes per game, but he played an average 30 minutes per game during the next month. At the end of the season, Thompson was voted to the NBA NBA All-Rookie First Team.
On January 29, 2013, Thompson scored a season-high 32 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Warriors coach Mark Jackson said that Thompson and Stephen Curry formed the best shooting duo in NBA history. That season, they combined made 483 three-pointers, the most ever by an NBA duo at the time. The Warriors defeated the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, and were next matched up against the San Antonio Spurs. On May 8, 2013, Thompson recorded a playoff career-high 34 points against San Antonio, hitting 8-of-9 three-pointers, to go along with a career-high 14 rebounds. The Warriors lost to the Spurs in six games.
In the opening game for the Warriors, Thompson scored a season-high 38 points, including 5-of-7 three-pointers. He and Curry set an NBA record for 484 combined threes on the season, besting by one the record they set the previous year. Thompson averaged 18.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists on the year. Thompson and the Warriors entered the 2014 NBA playoffs as the sixth seed in the Western Conference and were matched up with the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round; they lost the series in seven games.
Dallas Mavericks (2024–2026)
After playing his first 13 years of his career with the Warriors, Thompson signed with the Dallas Mavericks on a three-year, $50 million contract via a six-team sign and trade on July 6, 2024, which also included the Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves. This became the NBA's first six-team transaction.
On October 24, Thompson made his Mavericks debut, putting up 22 points with six three-pointers made and seven rebounds in a 120–109 win over the San Antonio Spurs. His six three-pointers made set a Mavericks franchise record for the most three-pointers made in a debut game. On November 12, Thompson made his return to Chase Center as a visitor for the first time, being welcomed back with a tribute video before scoring 22 points behind six made three-pointers in a 120–117 loss to the Warriors. On December 25, in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Thompson made his 2,561st career three-pointer, passing Reggie Miller for fifth on the NBA's all-time list. On March 29, 2025, in a game against the Chicago Bulls, Thompson recorded his 200th three-pointer of the season. He joined Stephen Curry as the only players in NBA history to record at least 10 seasons with at least 200 three-pointers made.
On January 15, 2026, Thompson scored a season-high 26 points and added six assists in a 144–122 win over the Utah Jazz. He passed Damian Lillard for fourth place on the NBA’s all-time 3-pointers made list. The very next game, on January 17, Thompson scored 23 points in a 138–120 win in a second consecutive game against the Jazz, surpassing 17,000 career points.
On August 21, 2026, Thompson agreed to a buyout with the Mavericks.
Miami Heat (2026–present)
On August 23, 2026, Thompson signed a two-year, $11.5 million contract with the Miami Heat.
National team career
Thompson was a member of the United States national team, winning gold medals on their 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and 2016 Olympic teams. He also won gold on the Under-19 national team at the 2009 FIBA Under-19 World Championship.
Player profile
Standing at 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) tall and weighing 220 pounds (100 kg), Thompson plays exclusively at the shooting guard position and has career averages of 19.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. He is both a prolific and efficient shooter, particularly from range, as well as an elite free-throw shooter. Thompson's shooting form has been described as "textbook" and "picture-perfect". Though he was capable of handling the ball in the Warriors offense, Thompson is primarily a catch-and-shoot player, taking advantage of back-cuts and screens set by teammates to make space for his exceptionally accurate quick-release shot. Although Thompson is not known for blocking shots or creating steals, he is considered a strong defender thanks to his size at the guard position and ability to defend against both elite guards and wings. Thompson is also praised for his stamina.
Thompson is known for his quiet, laid-back personality, rarely showing emotion in or out of games. Thompson is one of the few players in the NBA sponsored by Chinese shoe company Anta, signing a 10-year deal with it in 2016. Thompson is regarded as a clutch scorer, particularly in Game 6's of playoff series, where his shooting splits rise up significantly compared to his usual playoff statistics, which earned Thompson the nickname "Game 6 Klay."
Career statistics
Accomplishments and awards
4× NBA champion: 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022
5× NBA All-Star: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
2× All-NBA Third Team: 2015, 2016
NBA All-Defensive Second Team: 2019
NBA Three-Point Contest champion: 2016
NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2012
NBA three-point field goals leader: 2023
NBA free-throw percentage leader: 2024
NBA regular season record for most points scored in a quarter (37)
NBA regular season record for most three-pointers made in a game (14)
NBA record for most three-pointers made in a single postseason (98, tied with Stephen Curry)
Personal life
Thompson's older brother, Mychel, played basketball for Pepperdine University and had a brief stint in the NBA with the Cavaliers, while his younger brother, Trayce, became a Major League Baseball player. Thompson faced controversy when he was suspended for his final regular season game at WSU after being issued a misdemeanor criminal citation for marijuana possession. After winning the NBA Finals in 2015, Thompson and his father became the fourth father-son duo to win an NBA title, joining Matt Guokas Sr. and Jr., Rick and Brent Barry, and Bill and Luke Walton. (They were joined in 2022 by the newest father and son to win the title, Gary Payton and Gary Payton II, the latter of whom was Klay's teammate.)
Thompson is known for his offbeat, dry sense of humor. He previously owned an English bulldog named Rocco who died in May 2025.
In late October 2017, Thompson participated in local efforts to raise money for relief for the October 2017 Northern California wildfires, donating $1,000 for every point he scored in home games against the Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors, and Detroit Pistons. With additional sponsor and fan matching, Thompson was able to increase that to $5,223 per point, ultimately raising $360,374 by tallying 69 points across the three games.
Thompson is an avid chess player, and has met with the former chess world champion, Magnus Carlsen.
Thompson was in a relationship with American actress Laura Harrier from 2018 to early 2020. In 2025, he confirmed that he was in a relationship with American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. In April 2026, she ended their relationship due to his alleged infidelity.
